18.

PHRASAL VERBS AND IDIOMS

(Động từ kép và thành ngữ)

A. PHRASAL VERBS:
Động từ kép, hay còn gọi là cụm động từ, là các động từ kết hợp với một hoặc hai tiểu từ
(particles) như: across, along, about, after, against, around, at, for, forward, in, into, of,
off, on, onto, to, up, etc. Mởi động từ kép có thể cho một hoặc vài ba ý nghĩa khác nhau; Ví
dụ: come across (tình cờ gặp), come up with (đưa ra ý kiến), look up (nhìn lên), look up to
(ngưổng mộ, kính trọng), go off (nổ; hư thối), etc.
Câu hỏi liên quan đến động từ kép rất thường xuất hiện trong đề thi. Trong tiếng Anh số
lượng động từ kép có thể lên đến hàng ngàn, nhưng trong đó chỉ có một số động từ kép
thường được sử dụng trong giao tiếp hoặc trong sách, báo. Vì thế, chúng ta cần chú trọng ôn
tập một số động từ kép thông dụng nhất.
Phrasal verbs Meanings and Examples
= to explain the reason for or the cause of sth (giải thích lí do, nguyên
nhân)
- The prime minister will have to account to the whole nation for his
Account (to sb) for
decision.
= to form the total of sth (= tạo nên số lượng của)
- Students account for the vast majority of our customers.
= to destroy sth with an explosion (làm nổ)
Blow up - The hijackers threatened to blow up the plane if their demands were
not met.
= to escape (trốn thoát)
Break away
- One or two of the tourists broke away from the tour group.
= (machine, car, ...) to stop working (hỏng máy)
- Our dishwasher broke down just a month after the guarantee had
Break down expired.
= to lose control of one’s feelings and start crying (mất kiềm chế) -
When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.
 = to become very bad (suy sụp sức khỏe hoặc tinh thần) - Her health
broke down under the pressure of work.
= to enter a house or a building by force (đột nhập)
Break into - Someone broke into the office while the security guard was on the
phone to his wife.
= to end a relationship (cắt đứt quan hệ)
Break sth off
- The governments have broken off diplomatic relations.
= (something dangerous or unpleasant) start suddenly (bộc phát; bùng
Break out nổ)
- The ambassador was recalled when war broke out.
= to end relationship (tan vỡ; chấm dứt quan hệ)
Break up (with sb)
- She met her second husband not long after her first marriage broke up.

= to cause sth to happen (mang lại điều gì; gây ra việc gì)
Bring about - The twentieth century brought about revolutionary changes in our
lifestyles.
= to rear children (nuôi con)
Bring up
- The child was brought up by his grandmother.
= to mention or raise a topic (đề cập hoặc nêu ra)
- Please, bring this matter up at the next meeting.
= to Begin suddenly (òa vỡ; bùng lên)
Burst into - Fiona burst into tears when I told her that her cat had died.
- The car burst into flames while they were driving on the highway.
= to stop at a place for a short time (ghé lại)
Call at
- This train calls at several small stations.
= to return a telephone call (gọi điện lại)
Call back
- I’m busy at the moment - Can I call you back later?
= to demand that sth happen (yêu cầu thực hiện điều gì)
Call for sth
- All of the members have called for the chairman’s resignation.
= to cancel (hủy bỏ)
Call off
- The match was called off because of the bad weather.
= to normally invite or ask sb to speak (mời ai phát biểu)
Call on/upon
- I now call upon the chairman to address the meeting.
 = to make a telephone call to sb (gọi điện thoại cho ai)
- I’ll call you up when I get home.
Call up
= to order sb to join the army (kêu gọi nhập ngũ)
- He was called up when the war began.
= to become popular and fashionable (trở nên phổ biến hoặc thời
thượng)
Catch on
- The idea of glasses being a fashion item has been slow to catch on.
- I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people?
= to begin to understand or realize something (bắt đầu hiểu được điều
gì)
Catch, on to sth
- It was a long time before the police caught on to what he was really
doing.
= to reach the same position or level (bắt kịp)
- Go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you.
Catch up with
- After missing a term through illness he had to work hard to catch up
with the others.
= to register at a hotel or hospital (đăng kí vào ở)
Check in/into
- We went out for dinner after checking into the hotel.
= to pay the bill and leave a hotel (trả phòng khách sạn)
Check out (of)
- We must check out of our rooms by noon.
= to make sb feel happier (làm ai vui lên)
Cheer up
- Mary’s unhappy; we should do something to cheer her up.
= to make clean and orderly (dọn dẹp sạch sẽ)
Clean up
- You must clean up the mess after the party.
= to meet sb/sth by chance (tình cờ gặp)
- I came across these old photographs in a drawer.
Come across
= to be understood (hiểu được)
- He spoke for a long time but his meaning didn’t really come across.
= to arrive or to appear (đến hoặc xuất hiện)
Come along
- You must be ready to take any right opportunity when it comes along.

Come = to become conscious again (hồi tỉnh lại)

around/round - It took him twelve hours to come round after the operation.
 = to come to sb’s house to visit for a short time (ghé chơi nhà ai)
- She told me to come round and see her more often.
= (informal) to criticize sb severely or punish sb (chỉ trích hoặc trừng
Come down on sb phạt ai)
- Some people suggest the courts come down hard on young offenders.
Come down with = to get an illness that is not very serious (bị nhiễm bệnh nhẹ)
sth - I think I’m coming down with a cold.
= uesd to tell sb to hurry or to try harder (bảo ai cố lên hoặc nhanh lên)
- Come on! We don’t have much time.
- Come on! Try once more.
Come on
= used to show that you know what sb has said is not correct (bảo ai
“thôi mà”)
- Oh, come on-you know that isn’t true!
Come to a halt/ a = to slow down and stop (ngừng lại)
stop - The bus came to a halt / a stop just a few meters from me.
= to happen (xảy ra)
Come up - I’m afraid something urgent has come up.
- We’ll let you know if any vacancies come up.
= to suggest or think of an idea or plan (đưa ra một ý tưởng hoặc một kế
hoạch)
Come up with sth
Anyone who comes up with a new idea for increasing sales will be
promoted.
= to draw a line through (gạch bỏ)
Cross out
- Please, cross out all the spelling mistakes in this letter.
= to reduce the size, amount or number (giảm bớt)
Cut down on sth - ‘Have a cigarette?’ ‘No, thanks. I’m trying to cut down.
- The doctor told him to cut down on his drinking.
= to manage without sb/sth (xoay xở mà không cần có ai/ điều gì)
Do without - My boss can’t do without a secretary.
- I don't have any sugar so you'll have to do without.
= to visit informally (ghé thăm ai)
Drop by/in on sb
- I hope I’ll drop in on you when I’m in your town.
 = to decrease; to become less (giảm sút)
Drop off
- The demand for mobile phones shows no signs of dropping off.
= to leave school, college or nuniversity without finishing it (bỏ học
nửa chừng)
Drop out
- He started a degree at Wisconsin University, but dropped out after
only a year.
= to find the answer by reasoning (tìm ra câu trả lời sau nhiều suy nghĩ)
Figure out
- It took them ages to figure out how to assemble the chest of drawers.
= to complete a form by writing information on it (điền vào) - Every
Fill in/out
applicant must fillin/out this form and post it.
= to make sth completely full (đổ đầy)
Fill up
- Fill up the tank with gas before going on the trip.
= to discover information about sth/sb (tìm ra)
Find out
- Watch that man and try to find out what he’s doing.
= to criticize repeatedly sb (= chỉ trích ai)
Get at/on sb
- He keeps getting at me and I really don't know what I've done wrong.

= to succeed in avoiding punishment for something (= thoát tội)

Get away with - Everyone thinks he's guilty of the bribery, but it looks like he’s going
to get away with it.
= to make progress (có tiến bộ)
Get on
- How are you getting on in your new job?
= to have good relationship with sb (hòa đồng với)
Get on/along with
- Do you get on/along well with all the people you work with?
= to get into or leave a bus, a train, a plane, a ship, etc. (lên/ xuống xe,
tàu, ...)
Get on/off
- The bus was so crowded that I couldn’t get on.
- Please, let me get off at the stop near the post office.
= to avoid doing something that you do not want to do, especially by
Get out of giving an excuse (tránh né làm việc gì)
- I believe his headache was just a way of getting out of the housework.
= to feel better after sth unhappy happens to you (vượt qua)
Get over
- She never completely got over the loss of her first child.
 = to recover from an illness (bình phục)
- You will get over the illness more quickly if you relax.
Get = (news, information) to spread (tin tức lan truyền)
round/arounđ - News of their engagement soon got round the office.
= to succeed in an examination or competition (vượt qua kì thi)
Get through sth.
- Andy got through his final exam without any difficulty.
= to make someone feel annoyed or upset (làm ai bực tức)
Get to sb
- I'm under a lot of pressure at work, and sometimes it gets to me a bit.

= to leave your bed and start the day (thức dậy)

Get up
- The alarm rang but I had difficulty getting up.
= to return sth to sb (trả lại)
Give back
- You can borrow my CD, as long as you promise to give it back.
= to stop doing sth permanently (từ bỏ một thói quen)
Give up
- He gave up drinking on the advice of his doctor.
= to chase or follow sb (đuổi theo ai)
Go after
- She left the room in tears so I went after her.
= to proceed and do what you want to do (cứ việc làm điều gì)
Go ahead
- Dad said we could go ahead and build a tree-house.
= to leave a place
Go away
- I don’t want to buy anything! Please go away!
= to decrease or get smaller (giảm xuống)
Go down
- The number of students enrolling has slightly gone down this year.

= to explode or ring (nổ hoặc reo lên)

- The gun went off while he was cleaning it.
Go off - My alarm clock goes off every morning at six.
= to become spoilt (bị hư, hỏng)
- Put the food in the fridge or it’ll go off.
= to continue
- They went on working although it was very late.
Go on
= to happen
- I saw a crowd gathering and stopped to see what was going on.
 = to leave your home to go somewhere for fun
Go out - I don’t often go out this year because I’m too busy with my school
work.
= to review or check sth carefully (duyệt lại; xem lại)
Go over
- Go over your work before you hand it in.
= to rise (tăng lên)
Go up
- Prices have gone up by ten per cent this year.
= to become an adult (trưởng thành)
Grow up
- You’ll understangd this when you grow up, boy.
Hang = to wait or stay near a place, not doing very much (lượn lờ ở nơi nào)
about/around - In this slum area, you can see kids hanging about in the streets

= to give or leave sth to sb who is younger than you; to pass down

Hand sth down to
(truyền lại cho ai)
sb
- These skills used to be handed down from father to son.
= to submit (nộp; đệ trình)
- Remember to check your essay carefully before you hand it in to
Hand sth in (to sb)
me.
- He handed the wallet in to the police.
= to wait for a short time (chờ trong giây lát)
Hang on - Hang on a minute
- I'll be with you in a moment!
= to keep something (gìn giữ)
Hang on to/onto sth
- Hang onto those books. You never know when you might need them.

= to end a telephone conversation (kết thúc cuộc gọi)

Hang up
- He began to shout on the phone so I hung up.
= to wait for a short time (chờ trong choc lát)
Hold on
- Hold on, I'll check in my diary.
= to delay (làm. chậm trễ)
Hold up
- The traffic was held up because of an accident.
= to not enter a place (tránh xa, không được vào)
Keep out
- The sign said “Private Property-Keep Out!”
 = to avoid becoming involved in something (tránh dính líu vào việc gì)
Keep out of sth
- I prefer to keep out of arguments about money.

= to do what you have promised or planned to do (theo đúng kế hoạch)

- I think we should keep to our original plan.
Keep to sth = to talk or write only about the given subject (theo đúng chủ đề)
- For heaven's sake let's keep to the point or we'll never reach any
decisions.
= to stay at the same position or level (theo kịp)
Keep up with
- Wages are not keeping up with inflation.
= to make fun of; to ridicule (cười nhạo)
Laugh at
- They all laughed at his ridiculous costume.
= to make sb disappointed
Let sb down
- When he missed that penalty, he felt that he’d let the team down.

= to take care of or be responsible for

Look after
- My grandmother had a special maid-servant to look after her all day.

= to think about something that happened in the past (nhìn lại điều gì)
Look back on/to sth.
- When she looks back on those days she realizes how unhappy she was.
= to think that one is better than sb (khinh rẻ hoặc coi thường ai)
Look down on
- They looked down on her because of her poor clothes.

= to search for sb/sth (tìm kiếm)

Look for - I'm looking for my car key — have you seen it anywhere?
- Detectives are still looking for the escaped prisoner.
= to wait sb/sth with pleasure (mong chờ)
Look forward to
- We’re really looking forward to seeing you again.
= to investigate (điều tra)
Look into
— The police are looking into a series of robberies.
= to watch something happening, without being involved in it or trying
Look on to stop it (nhìn một cách bàng quan, hờ hững)
- Only one man tried to help us, the rest just looked on in silence.
= to be careful
Look out
— Look out! There’s a bus coming!
 = to find information in a book (tra cứu)
Look up
— You can look up this information on the website.
= to admire or respect someone (ngưỡng mộ hoặc kính trọng ai) - I've
Look up to sb
always looked up to my brother for his courage and determination.

= to go in the direction of a place or thing (đi theo hướng)

Make for
- After a short rest, they made for the next town.
= to see, hear or understand something or someone with difficulty (cố
gắng để thấy, nghe hoặc hiểu)
Make out
- The numbers are too small - I can't make them out at all.
- She's a strange person - I can’t make her out at all.
= to invent sth, such as an excuse or a story, often in order to deceive
(bịa chuyện)
- She made up an excuse about having to look after the kids.
- He told us stories about his family, but they were all made up.
= to prepare or arrange sth (chuẩn bị hoặc sắp đặt việc gì)
Make up — Could you make up a list of all the things that need to be done?
= to put make-up on sb’s face (trang điểm, hóa trang)
- It always takes her hours to make up in the mornings.
= to forgive someone and be friendly after an argument or disagreement
(= to make it up)
- The couple often quarrels but they always make it up soon after.
= to compensate for sth (đền bù; bồi thường)
Make up for - This year's good harvest will make up for last year's bad one.
- I'm taking extra lessons to make up for the time I missed.
= to be too friendly to sb or to praise them in order to get advantages
(nịnh bợ)
Make up to sb
- Everybody in the office can clearly see the way Wendy makes up to
the boss.
= to give sb/sth the name of sb else (đặt tên theo ai)
Name after sb
- This plant was named after the biologist who found it.
= to die (qua đời)
Pas away
- The old man passed away in peace.
 = to pay sb the money that you owe them
- He still hasn't paid me back that money he owes me.
Pay back = to do something unpleasant to someone because they have done
something unpleasant to you (bắt ai phải trả giá cho việc làm không tốt)
- He swears he’ll pay her back for what she’s done to him!
= to be punished for doing something bad to someone else, or to suffer
because of a mistake that you made (phải trả giá vì việc gì)
Pay for
- We all pay for our mistakes in some way at some time.
- He tricked me and I'm going to make him pay for it!
= to put money into a bank account; to deposit (U.S.) (nộp tiền vào tài
Pay in khoản ngân hàng)
- If you go to the bank, will you pay these cheques in for me?
= to pay back money that you owe (trả nợ cho ai)
Pay off
- They hope to pay off the debt within two years.
= to pay money that you owe, especially when you do not want to or
Pay up you are late (buộc lòng phải trả nợ cho ai)
- Eventually they paid up, but only after receiving several reminders.
= to go somewhere in your car and get sb (đón ai bằng xe)
Pick up
- Can I pick you up at 5 pm?
= to draw attention to sth (gây sự chú ý; chĩ rõ ra)
Point out
- He pointed out the dangers of driving alone.
= to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand
them easily (trình bày một cách rõ ràng để người khác hiểu)
Put sth across - His lecture was interesting and he put it across well.
- I don't think I managed to put myself across very well in my
interview.
= to save something, usually time or money, for a special purpose (để
dành)
Put sth aside - They put aside a little money every month for their child’s future
education.
- He tries to put some time aside every evening to read to the kids.

Put away = to remove to a proper place (cất đi)

 - Put away your books and get ready to do this test.

= to return an object to where it was before it was moved (trả lại chở cũ)
Put sth back
- Will you put the books back when you’ve finished with them?

= to state an idea or opinion, or to suggest a plan or person, for other

people to consider (đệ trình)
- Many suggestions have been put forward, but a decision is unlikely
Put sth forward
until after next year's general election.
- The proposals that you have put forward deserve serious
consideration.
= to postpone (hoãn lại)
Put off - He put off going to see the dentist until his toothache got worse.
- “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
= to put clothes on one’s body (mặc vào)
Put on
- He put on his jacket and went out.
= to extinguish a fire or cigarette (dập tắt)
Put out - Firefighters have been called to put out the fire in the city centre.
- Would you mind putting your cigarette out, please?
= to express an idea clearly so that people understand it (trình bày rõ
Put sth over/ across ràng cho người khác hiểu)
She's not very good at putting over/ across her ideas.
= to provide sb with a place to stay temporarily (cho ai ở tạm)
Put up
- Darren put me up for three days during my visit to his town.
= to tolerate (chịu đựng)
Put up with - I can’t put up with his interference any longer!
- I can put up with the house being untidy, but I hate it if it’s not clean.
= to meet sb you know when you are not expecting to (tình cờ gặp)
- I ran across several old friends when I went back to my hometown.

Run across
= to experience a problem when you are not expecting to (gặp vấn đề)
- We've run across a slight problem with the instruction manual.
 = to chase sb/sth (đuổi theo)
Run after - He ran after me to hand me some papers I'd dropped.
- Dogs always run after cats when they see each other.
= to be very busy doing a lot of different things (bặn rộn đủ việc)
Run around - I’m exhausted
- I’ve been running around all morning.
= to leave a place or person secretly and suddenly (trốn chạy)
- He ran away from home when he was only 12.
- They are planning to run away together to get married.
Run away
= to avoid dealing with a problem or difficult situation (tránh né trách
nhiệm)
- She accused him of running away from his responsibilities.
= to criticize sb/sth, often unfairly (chỉ trích một cách bất công)
Run sb/sth down
- The boss is always running his secretary down in front of other people.

= If a document or official agreement runs out, the period of time for

Run out which it lasts finishes (hết hạn sử dụng)
- My passport runs out next month - I must get it renewed.
= to meet by chance (tình cờ gặp)
Run into - I ran into someone I used to know at school in the street this morning.
- They ran into difficulties during the test flight.
= to finish the supply of sth (hết; cạn kiệt)
- We've run out of milk - would you like some creamer instead?
Run out of
- Get out of here before I run out of patience!
- I'll have to stop you here, we've run out of time.
= to go to the airport, the station, etc., to say goodbye to sb (đưa tiễn ai)
See sb off
- All the members of my family saw me off at the airport.

= to help or support sb during a difficult period in their life (giúp đỡ)

- I lent him some money to see him through until the payday.
See sb through
- He was a prisoner of war for five years, but his courage saw him
through.
 = to deal with sth that needs to be dealt with (xử lý việc gì)
See to sth - If you bring the food, I’ll see to the drinks.
- "These documents need printing.” “OK I’ll see to them now.”
= to send sb to prison (bỏ tù người nào)
Send sb down/up
- He was sent down/up for armed robbery.
= to order sb to leave a game because they have done
Send sb off something wrong; to eject sb (đuổi khỏi sân)
- The defender was sent off for swearing at the referee.
= to ask for sth to be brought to you from another place, by using the
Send out for sth telephone or sending a message (gọi để đặt hàng)
- There's not much to eat in the fridge. Should I send out for a pizza?
= to behave in a way that attracts attention or admiration, and which
other people often find annoying (khoe khoang)
Show off - Tony only bought that sports car to show off and prove he could
afford one.
- She likes to wear short skirts to show off her legs.
= to go with sb to a place that they have not visited before (đưa ai đi
Show sb xem nơi nào)
round/around - Let me know when you're coming to my town and I'll show you
around.
= to arrive (đến)
- I invited him for eight o'clock, but he didn't show up until nine-thirty.
Show up
- They were expecting one hundred people to come to their wedding
reception, but only half of them showed up.
= to resemble (giống với ai)
Take after
- Tom’s very intelligent. He takes after his father.
= to remove sth (lấy vật gì đi)
- The men didn’t come to take the rubbish away.
Take away
- I was a bit worried when an official came and took my passport
away.
= to return something you have bought to a shop (trả lại món gì đã mua)
Take sth back
- If the shirt doesn't fit, you can take it back.
 = to admit that something you said was wrong (rút lại lời đã nói ra)
- He refused to take back his assertion that I had lied.

= to look after (chăm sóc)

Take care of
- Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself.
= to write something that another person has just said (ghi chép)
Take sth down - She took down my address and phone number and said she’d phone
back.
= to understand completely (hiểu đầy đủ)
- I had to read the letter twice before I could take it all in.
Take in
= to trick or deceive sb (đánh lừa ai)
- The bogus official was so convincing that he took everyone in.
= to remove clothes, hats, shoes, etc. (bỏ ra, cởi ra)
Take off
- When he took off his hat, we saw that he was completely bald!
= to leave the ground and begin to fly (cất cánh)
- Due to bad weather, the plane took off three hours late.
= to accept a job or responsibility (nhận việc hoặc trách nhiệm)
- Joe took on too much work and made himself ill.
Take on = to employ sb (tuyển dụng ai)
- The company had to take on more employees to meet the deadline.
- Cindy has been, taken on as a laboratory assistant.
= to start doing a job or being responsible for sth that another person did
or had responsibility for before (tiếp nhận công việc của ai)
- Mr. Willis took over from Ms. Vanessa as head of sales department
last week.
Take over
= to get control of a company or sth (tiếp quản một công ty)
- The company my sister works for has recently been taken over.
- There are rumours that a German firm is bidding to take over the
shoe factory.
= to happen (xảy ra)
Take place
- The 2014 World Cup finals took place in Brazil.
 = to start to like sb or sth (bắt đầu thích ai hoặc điều gì)
- Jane took to her new classmate at once.
Take to sb/sth
- Paul has taken to table tennis like a duck to water.
(= He likes it and is good at it) .
= to start a job or a hobby (bắt đầu làm việc gì)
Take up - He's taken up the post of supervisor.
- I took up water-skiing during a seaside holiday.
= to get rid of sth that you do not want any more (vứt bỏ)
- So when are you going to throw away those old magazines?
Throw sth away - This old furniture should be thrown away.
= to waste a skill or opportunity (bỏ phí điều gì)
- You've spent three years studying — don’t throw it all away.
= to not allow someone to enter a place (không cho ai vào cửa)
Turn away
- They turned us away at the entrance because we hadn't got tickets.

= to refuse an offer or request (từ chối)

Turn sth/sb down - She turned down the job because it involved too much travelling.
- He asked her to marry him, but she turned him down.
= to change and become sb or sth different (biến thành; làm biến thành)
Turn sth/sb into
- She manages to turn the most ordinary of ingredients into the most
sth/sb
delicious of dishes.
- The witch put a magic spell on the prince and turned him into a frog.

= to happen in a particular and unexpected way (xảy ra)

- As events turned out, we were right to have decided to leave early.
Turn out = to be known or discovered finally and surprisingly (hóa ra là)
- The news report about the explosion turned out to be false.
- My fears turned oat to be groundless.
= to ask sb for help or support (đến xin ai giúp đỡ)
- Her family lived a long way away, and she had no one to turn to.
Turn to sb/sth
- I have always been able to turn to my parents when I've had a
problem.
 = to arrive or appear somewhere (đến; xuất hiện)
- Derek turned up at my house late last night.
Turn up
- She invited loads of friends to her party, but only a handful of them
turned up.
= (water) to remove or carry sth away (nước cuốn trôi)
- So far three bridges have been washed away by the flood.
Wash sth away
- The blood on the pavement had been washed away by the rain
overnight.
= to wash the dishes and cutlery (rửa chén bát)
Wash up
- If you clear the table, I’ll wash up.
= to gradually disappear (tan biến dần)
Wear off - Most patients find that the numbness from the injection wears off after
about an hour.
= to make someone extremely tired
Wear sb out - Walking around the town all day really wore me out.
- You’ll wear yourself out if you carry on working so hard.
= to use sth so much that it is damaged and cannot be used any more, or
to become damaged in this way (làm hao mòn; bị hao mòn)
Wear (sth) out - Moving parts in engines wear out much more quickly than stationary
parts.
- He wore out two pairs of shoes last year.
= to think about a problem and find the answer (tìm ra câu trả lời)
- I couldn't work out what his expression meant,
Work out
- There win be a íiilỉ investigation to work out what caused the
accident.

B. IDIOMS:
Thành ngữ là các cụm từ hoặc câu mang một ý nghĩa đặc biệt, khác với ý nghĩa hiểu theo
nghĩa đen. Ví dụ: “to lose heart” không có nghĩa “mất trái tim”, nhưng lại có nghĩa “nản
lòng”; “a wild goose chase” không có nghĩa là “một chuyến đi săn vịt trời”, nhưng được dùng
để chỉ những “công việc không mang lại hiệu quả”. Cũng như tiếng Việt, trong tiếng Anh có
rất nhiều thành ngữ chúng ta khó có thể học hết được. Trong phạm vi bài học này, chúng ta
chỉ ôn tập một số thành ngữ thông dụng thường xuất hiện trong các câu hỏi đề thi.
1. Idioms with “arm”:
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= khoác tay nhau
Arm in arm
- They walked arm in arm through the park.
= willingly, with enthusiasm (sẵn lòng)
With open arms - Thank you so much for the report, my boss will welcome it
with open arms.

2. Idioms with “back”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= when sb is not present or not informed (làm việc gì sau lưng
ai)
Behind sb’s back
- The matter was discussed behind my back. I had not been
informed of it.
= to get rid of sb/sth that is tiresome, unpleasant, etc. (tống khứ
See the back of sth/sb ai hoặc điều gì)
- I’ll be glad to see the back of Joe. He’s just wasting my time!

= to be disloyal to a friend when he does not expect it (đâm sau

lưng ai)
Stab sb in the back
- Don’t trust Billy. He’s the sort of person who is likely to stab
you in the back when it suits him.
= to refuse to help sb when it is needed (quay lưng lại với ai,
không giúp đỡ ai)
Turn one’s back on sb
- Although I don’t like Peter very much, I can’t turn my back
on him when he’s in trouble.
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= (saying) family ties are stronger than ties of friendship in
spite of anything (một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã)
Blood is thicker than water
- Despite everything, Paul is our cousin, and we all know that
blood is thicker than water.
 = calmly and without feeling (lạnh lùng, vô cảm)
In cold blood - How can you remain her friend after she lied to you like that
in cold blood?
= one becomes very angry (nổi giận điên cuồng)
One’s blood boils/ it makes
- It makes my blood boil to think that he’s taken all the praise
one’s blood boil
for my work!

4. Idioms with “brain”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= the loss of a country’s best-qualified scientists to another
country (chảy máu chất xám)
The brain drain
- The brain drain of the sixties certainly made Britain less
competitive in the field of technology.
= to find out what sb knows/ thinks about sth by asking
questions (tìm hiểu suy nghĩ của ai về việc gì)
Pick sb’s brain(s)
- Sally, I need to pick your brain about the project before the
meeting.
= to think very hard to find a solution to a problem (suy nghĩ
Rack one’s brain (about nát óc)
sth) - I’ve been racking my brain all day to remember the name of
the agency that Susan recommended.

6. Idioms with “ear”:

7.
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to deliberately ignore sth, such as criticism, complaints, etc,
by pretending not to have heard it (vờ như không biết)
Turn a deaf ear to sth
- I told Dick not to throw his dirty clothes on the floor, but he
just turned a deaf ear to it!
= to listen attentively (chăm chú lắng nghe)
Be all ears - “Do you know what John said about you?” “Go on - I’m
all ears."

154 - Hoàng Thái Dương

 Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to be extremely busy (bận rộn ngập đầu)
Be up to one’s ears (in sth) - I would help you at any other time, but at the moment I’m
up to my ears in work.
= naive, immature and inexperienced (quá non nót)
Wet behind the ears - In your first job, your older colleagues often think you are
still wet behind the ears and seldom take you seriously.

6. Idioms with “eye”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to attract sb’s attention (thu hút sự chú ý của ai)
Catch sb’s eye
- We tried to catch the waiter’s eye but he didn’t look at us.

= to observe continually and carefully (để mắt trông chừng)

Keep an eye on sb/sth - My wife had to go to the doctor, so I kept an eye on the
children.
= to ignore sth or pretend not to be aware of sth (vờ như không
thấy)
Turn a blind eye to sth
- The boss knows that we often waste time chatting, but she
just turns a blind eye to it.
= to cry very much (khóc thảm thiết)
Cry one’s eyes out - Little Susan cried her eyes out when her dog was killed in the
accident.

7. Idioms with "face”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= together, person to person, in each other’s presence (mặt đối
mặt)
Face to face
- The atmosphere was tense when the two rival leaders came
face to face.

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 155
 = to not laugh though one finds sth very funny (ỉàm mặt tỉnh)
- I could hardly keep a straight face when the principal’s
Keep a straight face
glasses fell off the end of his nose during his speech.

= lose the respect of others (mất mặt)

Lose face - We would have lost face if our team had not won the match.

Idioms Meanings & Examples

= a sudden and unexpected defeat, disappointment, etc. (cú tát
vào mặt)
A slap in the face (for sb) - Anne was sure that she would be asked to represent the
company at the conference, so it was a real slap in the face
for
her when Laura was asked to go.

8. Idioms with “finger”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= if you have green fingers, you are good at making plants
Green fingers/ Green grow (có khiếu về trồng cây)
thumb - Mrs. Rice really has green fingers. Anything she plants grows
well.
= to wish sb good luck (chúc ai may mắn)
Keep one’s fingers crossed
- “I’m taking my driving test tomorrow.” “Oh, good! I’ll keep
(for sb)
my fingers crossed for you.”

9. Idioms with “foot/feet”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to start doing sth that is new for you (mới chân ướt chân ráo
Get one’s feet wet trong việc gì)
- At that time he was a young actor, just getting his feet wet.
= to visit or go to a place (đặt chân đến chở nào))
Set foot in/on somewhere
- Louis Amrstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon.

156 - Hoàng Thái Dương

 = to be self-supporting and independent (tự lập, không lệ
Stand on one’s own (two) thuộc)
feet - don’t worry about your son. At 19, he’s perfectly able to
stand on his own two feet.

10. Idioms with "hand”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= directly (trực tiếp)
At first hand - “Who gave you that information about Simon?” “I got it
at first hand. Simon told me himself.”
= near, close by (gần, kế bên)
At hand - I haven’t got the books at hand, but I can get them for you
tomorrow.
= to help sb (giúp ai một tay)
Give/ lend sb a hand - “Can you give me a hand moving this table away?” “OK.
Let’s do it!”
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= under control (trong tầm kiểm soát)
- The work is well in hand and should be finished in a few
days.
In hand
= spare, left over to use (để dành dùng về sau)
- When we have paid all the bills, we’ll still have some money
in hand.
= to live without saving money, spending it as soon as it is
earned (sống kiểu tay làm hàm nhai)
Live from hand to mouth
- Tome has just been living from hand to mouth. He hasn’t
been able to save any money!
= out of control (ngoài tầm kiểm soát)
Out of hand - If the strike situation at the factory gets out of hand, we’ll
lose some importants orders.

11. Idioms with “head”:

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 157
 Idioms Meanings & Examples
= be/ become mad (bị điên, với ý nghĩa mỉa mai)
Be/ go off one’s head - If the boss expects the whole office to do overtime on the
weekend, he must be off his head.
= completely (hoàn toàn, từ đầu đến chân)
Head over heels - Albert met Sarah on a business trip and he fell head
over heels in love with her.
= to stay calm in a difficult situation (giữ bình tĩnh; tỉnh táo)
Keep a cool head - I don't know how you manage to keep such a cool head in
such a hectic, stressful office!
= to panic and lose control (hốt hoảng, mất kiểm soát)
Lose one’s head - When the boy fell into the river, his friend just lost his head
and ran away!
= to understand sth that is confusing (hiểu được)
Make head or tail of sth - His letter is so full of mistakes that I can’t make head or tail
of it.

12. Idioms with “heart”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= basically, as one really is by nature (cơ bản; thực chất)
At heart
- Jim may look a bit cold, but he’s a kind person at heart.
= to make sb feel very unhappy (làm đau lòng ai)
Break sb’s heart
- She broke his heart when she called off the engagement.
Idioms Meanings & Examples
- It breaks my heart to see the children being badly treated.

= from memory (thuộc lòng)

- My father can still recite the poems he learned by- heart at
By heart
school.
- She’s learnt the whole speech (off) by heart.

158 - Hoàng Thái Dương

 = to be very kind and generous (có tấm lòng bao dung, rộng
lượng)
Have a heart of gold
- Mr. Brown may seem grumpy and bad-tempered sometimes,
but deep down he has a heart of gold.
= to become discouraged (trở nên nản lòng)
Lose heart - Jake’s had so many job refusals that he’s beginning to
lose heart.
= extremely nervous (rất hồi hộp, lo lắng)
One’s heart in one’s mouth - My heart was in my mouth when Professor Black began to
read out the examination results.
= to become confident again (trở nên tự tin trở lại)
Take heart - Being made redundant has hit Max very hard, but he’ll have
to take heart and start looking for a new job.

13. Idioms with “leg”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to make light fun of sb by making him believe sth that is untrue
(lừa ai cho vui)
Pull sb’s leg
- Of course Uncle Bill doesn’t want his present back. He was only
pulling your leg !
= to take a walk in order to get some exercise (đi dạo để thư giãn)

Stretch one’s legs - After such a lengthy discussion, I feel that I need to stretch
my legs. Would you like to join me in the garden?

= in a humble, depressed manner, like a dog after being heaten

With one’s tail between (cụp đuôi; trầm uất)

one’s legs - Jack looked very angry when he entered the manager’s office,
but he left with his tail between his legs. He had been mistaken!

Idioms Meanings &. Examples

= to be fully occupied with sth (bận rộn ngập đầu)
Be up to the neck in sth - I would come to see you this week, but I’m up to the neck in
paper work, so I’ll come next Saturday.

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 159
 = an irritating, annoying person or sth that one dislikes doing (cái
gai trong mắt ai)
- Terry
17. Idioms with is really
“tooth, a pain in the neck in the office. All he talks
teeth”:
A pain in the neck
about is his wealth and talent.
- I’ll be glad when we’ve finished checking these figures.
They’re a pain in the neck!

15. Idioms with “nose”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
Lead sb by the nose = to influence sb to do as one wants (xỏ mũi dắt ai đi)
- The workers are determined not to let the manager lead
them by the nose. They want more than just promises.
Pay through the nose = to pay more money for sth than it is worth (trả tiền nhiều hơn
giá trị thật)
- “Do you agree that my new dress is beautiful?” “Yes. But
you paid through the nose for itl”

16. Idioms with “tongue”:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
- to say nothing; to keep silent (im lặng; không nói lời nào)
Hold one’s tongue - I could have told my neighbor whose ball broke his window,
but I thought it best to hold my tongue.”
- on the point of remembering sth but not able to do so (biết
On the tip of one’s tongue nhưng không nhớ ra được)
- Whatever is that man’s name? It’s on the tip of my tongue!
= a mistake made when when sb says something that they did
not intend to say (lỡ lời)
A slip of the tongue
- I called her new boyfriend by her previous boyfriend’s name -
it was just a slip of the tongue.
Idioms Meanings & Examples
Have a sweet tooth = to enjoy eating sweet things (hảo ngọt)
- I think Bob will like these candies. He’s always had a sweet

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 160
 tooth.
Armed to the teeth = fully provided with weapons, tools, or any kind of equipment

17. Idioms (được

ith trangteeth”:
“tooth, bị tận răng; được trang bị quá đầy đủ)
w - They left for a weekend camping armed to the teeth with pots
and pans, tins and tents, raincoats and rubber boots!

18. Idioms with time:

Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to decide to stop doing sth (quyết định tạm ngừng làm việc
Call it a day gì)
- We’ve been walking for three hours. Let’s call it a day!
= every single day without change or exception (ngày này sang
ngày khác)
Day in day out
- Mr. Wright wears the same old shirt and trousers day in day
out. It’s time he bought some new ones!
= for a possible time of financial difficulty in the future (để
dành phòng khi túng thiếu)
For a rainy day
- The older you get, the more you begin to think about saving
for a rainy day.
= have been better in the past (đã từng có thời huy hoàng, giàu
sang, ...)
Have seen better days
- Mr. Forbes has certainly seen better days. Before he went
bankrupt, he had been the boss of a big company.
= very soon (sắp sửa)
any minute/ moment now - Our guests will be arriving any moment now and the house is
still a mess.
= occasionally; sometimes (thỉnh thoảng)
At times - Fred says he enjoys living alone, but I know he must feel
lonely at times!
= for the present time, until sth else happens (tạm thời)
For the time being - They haven’t hired any permanent staff yet. For the
time being, they have a few part-time secretaries.

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 161
 = just as; at the last possible moment (vừa sát nút)
In the nick of time - We got on to the platform in the nick of time, just as the guard

17. Idioms with was blowing

“tooth, his whistle!
teeth”:

19. Idioms with comparison “as…as”:

Idioms Meanings
As black as pitch = very dark (tối đen như mực)
As busy as a bee = very busy (bận rộn liên tục)
As clean as a new pin = very clean and tidy (sạch như lau)

As clear as crystal/ daylight = obvious, easy to understand (rõ như ban ngày)

As clear as mud = not at all clear or easy to understand (chẳng rõ ràng chút nào)
= calm and controlled at a time of difficulty or danger (rất bình
As cool as a cucumber
tĩnh)
= sly, scheming, planning secretly to one’s own advantage (quỷ
As cunning as a fox
quyệt như cáo già)
As deaf as a post = extremely deaf (điếc đặc)
As different as chalk and/ = very different (khác nhau rất rõ)
from cheese
As fit as a fiddle = in good physical condition; active (sung sức)
As gentle as a lamb = very gentle (hiền như bụt)
As greedy as a pig = very greedy (tham lam như lợn)
As old as the hills = very old (xưa như trái đất)
As quick as lightning/ a = very quick (nhanh như chớp)
flash
As quiet as a mouse = reserved and shy; making no noise (im như thóc)
= used of sb’s face turned pale because of a shock, fright or
As white as a sheet/ chalk
illness (tắng nhợt, trắng bệt)

20. Miscellaneous:
Idioms Meanings & Examples

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 162
 = to show no sign of surprise or worry when something
unexpected happens (không thèm để ý tới)
Not bat an eye/ an eyelid
- She told him she'd spent all her savings but he didn't bat an
eye / eyelid.
- to have the qualities and abilities needed for sth (có khả
be cut out for sth / be cut
năng hoặc phẩm chất để làm việc gì)
out to be sth
- Larry is not cut out for teaching/ to be a teacher.
= improving very quickly (tiến bộ nhanh)
By/ in leaps and bounds - I’m very surprised to see that your Spanish has improved
in leaps and bounds.
Idioms Meanings & Examples
= to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things that
one needs (làm vừa đủ ăn)
Make (both) ends meet
- These days, many families are struggling to make (both) ends
meet.
= not available (hết hàng)
Out of stock
- The book I aksed for was out of stock.
= advantages and disadvantages (lợi và hại)
Pros and cons We're just weighing up the pros and cons of moving to the city
centre.
= not very often; rarely (hiếm khi)
Once in a blue moon - My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a
blue moon.

LUYỆN TẬP CÂU HỎI THEO DẠNG ĐỀ THI

A. Choose the word or phrase that best completes each of the following sentences.
1. I couldn’t them when we climbed the mountain.
A. keep out of B. keep up with
C. keep away from D. keep on with
2. It seems impossible to terrorism in the world.
A. put stop to B. put an end of

Tự học luyện thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh - 163
 C. put an end to D. stop at
3. It never ceases to amaze me how little notice some people now take rules in
public places.
A. in B. about C. at D. of
4. He was completely by her tale of hardship.
A. taken away B. taken down
C. taken in D. taken up
5. He came a lot of criticism for the remarks he made in a television
interview.

come in for sth: nhận được những điều không vui.

A. out of B. off C. over D. in for
6. She started the course two months ago but dropped after only
a month.

Drop out: bỏ học, bỏ dở 1 cái gì đấy

A. in B. out C. off D. back
7. I can’t find my dictionary at the moment. I hope it will up soon.
look sth up: tra cứu từ.
turn up: xuất hiện
A. turn B. clear C. come D. look
8. The children made a funny story and wrote it on the card.
make sth up = make up sth: bịa ra 1 cái gì đấy
make it up = make up it
A. off B. for C. out D. up
9. It is a biological fact that children their parents.
A. take after B. take to C. look up D. care for
10. I can’t who it is. He is too far away.
A. take in B. stand for C. make out D. look for
11. The forecast has revealed that the world’s reserves of fossil fuel
will have by 2015.
A. run out B. taken over C. caught up D. used off
12. Watch the signpost. I don’t want to miss the turning.
Watch out!: cẩn thận kìa.
Watch out for sth: cẩn thận để ý nhìn cái gì đấy.
A. in for B. up with C. out for D. in on
13. Some people can break the law and get it. Some get punished.
 A. away with B. out of C. up with D. on for
14. Tracy, would you kindly Helen? She has a hospital
appointment at 10 o’clock tomorrow.
A. stand up to B. sit it on
C. stand in for D. stand up for

164 - Hoàng Thái Dương

15. He said that my electric iron was unsafe and advised me to have it
A. called on B. fixed up
C. looked through D. seen to
16. Did he his strange behavior at the party?
A. put out B. turn over
C. meet with D. account for
17. The director retired early ill-health.
A. on account of = because of B. ahead of
C. on behalf of: thay mặt, đại diện D. in front of
18. Now that they have read it in , they believe me.
A. white and black B. black and white
C. red and blue D. blue and red
19. Larry has ; he loves cakes, chocolate, ice-cream - anything
which is sweet.
A. a sweet mouth B. sweet lips
C. a sweet tongue D. a sweet tooth
20. I couldn’t believe that they were brothers. They were as different as _____
A. Mars from Jupiter B. chalk from cheese
C. dogs and cats D. milk from honey